C'est la Vie (Alastor x Angel Dust Oneshots)
by GildedWolves
Summary: These will be short stories, therefore the length of different chapters may vary but will typically remain somewhat short. Every short story will be posted in different chapters and will not tie into each other/crossover unless stated otherwise. I am still learning to use this site so please bear with me! I may take requests at some point :)
1. Singing

It wasn't unusual for quiet yet upbeat scores of music to dance throughout the air within the Hazbin Hotel. If anything, it was odd when there wasn't. Concealed speakers had been added to the hotel when Alastor spruced the old place up, so constant musical notes filled the rooms and kept the residents tapping their feet or bobbing their heads. The music itself was also conducted by Alastor, who had created a small studio for himself. It didn't contain much, just some security cameras and access to the speakers; much like a very small version of a room that you would find in his radio tower. Alongside these little improvements, he also added more rooms to provide entertainment. His (_and what he later learned to be Charlie's_) favourite room was the theatre. The rows of seats appeared to be never-ending, all of which were angled in the direction of a center stage. Clusters of spotlights clung to the high ceiling, powered off for the time being.

* * *

Poking his head into the room, Angel Dust surveyed the area. It was early in the morning, a time when most demons were sleeping off hangovers, drug overdoses, one night stands, the works. Due to this, the large theatre was completely empty. The usually cheery music protruding from the small speakers in the hallway seemed eerie in the almost suffocating silence. Angel had heard Charlie gushing to Alastor about the theatre a few days previous, and he felt the need to check it out himself. After giving it a look, it was clear the kiddo hadn't been exaggerating. It was humongous, and fancy at that. After allowing himself to admire the place, Angel eventually made his way down the many steps and up to the stage. A microphone was positioned at the front center of the stage and after a second cautious look around the theatre, he pulled himself up onto the platform and walked over to the microphone.

"Uh, is this on?" Angel tapped the microphone. It let out a loud booming echo as he touched it, and Angel quickly lowered the volume to what he believed would be a soft hum. Unbeknownst to him, Angel wasn't the only demon awake at such an early hour. Alastor roamed the halls, nodding his head to the beat of a song playing from his own personal radio. Angel cleared his throat, opening his mouth then closing it only moments later. It had been so long since he sang outside of quiet murmuring, and despite the lack of an audience, he found himself feeling nervous. "Don't be a pussy," he grumbled to himself, shaking out the tension from his shoulders. Once again, he cleared his throat, singing softly at first. It was a song that was released quite a few decades after his death, but he'd heard it enough to know the lyrics. _I Will Survive_ by Gloria Gaynor, released in 1978. It was upbeat and fun to sing- an enjoyable song not to be taken too seriously. Alastor found himself turning down a familiar hallway, only to stop at a _not-so-familiar_ singing voice. It was soft yet hearty, a little rough, and pleasant to listen to. Without any music, it had an acapella tone to it. He walked towards the theatre, spotting Angel Dust- the singer behind the lovely voice. Alastor stood in the doorway, his grin stretched into the usual wide and toothy variation. With a wave of his hand, a singular spotlight began to slowly turn on. Unfortunately, Angel was caught up in the song, not noticing the other demons' presence or the light.

"Well, now I'm saving all my lovin' for someone who's loving me," Angel sang, the shadow of a grin starting to grow on his face. "Go on now, go! Walk out the door," he purred, fluttering his eyelashes at the imaginary crowd, "Just turn around now, 'cause you're not welcome anymore." Alastor watched, his grinning expression never changing- only widening. He preferred the electro-swing genre, but Angel certainly seemed to sway his music tastes. For the rest of the song, Alator remained silent as he observed. Angel appeared lost in the music, an emotion Alastor had yet to see up until that point. It was.. Sweet, interesting. When Angel finished the song, he couldn't help but feel some remorse. It was over so quick and he still felt the urge to continue singing, but he knew demons would be waking up within the hour. Suddenly, as though manifesting from thin air (_which he quite likely did)_, Alastor appeared from the door and into the front row.

"What a marvellous performance my effeminate friend!" he complimented, his old-fashioned radio voice ringing out in the empty theatre.

"A-Al-!" Angel jumped back, a hand placed over where his heart would be. "How long have you been there?" he asked shakily before regaining his flirty composure. He attempted to shoot a sultry grin in the Radio Demons direction, letting a low purr rumble in his throat. "Did you enjoy it, baby?" Alastor ignored the flirtation attempt and summoned his microphone, tapping the side and looking at the eye.

"That was spectacular, was it not? What a shame I wasn't broadcasting!" he exclaimed. "A shame indeed," the microphone agreed, his voice full of staged sadness. Angel glowered, crossing his top pair of arms- the second pair taking place on his hips, stating,

"Oh haha Smiles, I'm glad you find this amusing."

"Oh, not at all!" Alastor replied. "I quite enjoyed the show," his grin grew at those words, "In fact, I would like to join you in a second performance." Angel looked taken-aback at those words, blinking as though Al had just declared he was attracted to furniture- 'which, come to think of it,' Angel thought, 'was more likely than him actually finding another demon fuckable.'

"You?" Angel started, "You wanna join me?" he questioned, hope fluttering in his chest.

"Why yes, it would be quite entertaining! Would it not?" Alastor explained. Angel felt the hope fly away as he fought back a frown. 'Of course, he would only be doing it for his own enjoyment,' Angel thought with a huff. Al would never spend time with him unless it benefitted himself. It was foolish to think a demon could act otherwise. Alastor noted a change in Angel's attitude, watching as the porn star turned away from him. He fought back the predatory emotions and hid his discomfort behind a larger smile. He appeared on the stage without moving a single muscle, startling Angel who cursed then asked, "So what are ya gonna do Smiles? Sing?"

Alastor tilted his head, eyes narrowing the slightest bit as his grin stretched even wider. "I prefer the instrumental part," he answered. With a snap of his fingers, a group of shadowy figures appeared; a variety of instruments in their claws. Within seconds of appearing on stage, they began to play an energetic electro-swing song. One of the demons tossed Alastor their saxophone, and the Radio Demon began playing. He was more of a piano player, but this would do.

It was certainly a wonder to behold. Alastor, the fearsome Radio Demon of Hell, playing the saxophone with a group and a large grin. The porn star studied that smile for a moment. It seemed more genuine than his typical handful of devilish grins. Angel shook his head, ridding himself of the initial shock, before catching on to the song being played. If he was correct, the song was _Delight _by _Jamie Berry (ft. Octavia Rose.) _Angel had heard Alastor play this song a variety of times, so he quickly cleared his throat and began singing before the vocal part passed. It was quick, enlivening, and a hell of a good time. Angel caught his gaze drifting over to the red demon a few mere meters from him more times than he could fathom. The spotlight glinted on Alastors monocle, bathing a good half of his face in an attractive red-tinted light. Wait, _attractive? _Oh, Angel was surely losing it now.


	2. Cleaning

Charlie watched as Niffty bounced around the Hotel, dusting and re-organizing, cleaning and giggling. Despite the tiny demons wide grin, her singular eye seemed to hold a tired gleam to it. Ever since Alastor had brought her to the hotel (_more like summoned,_) Niffty had been working non-stop; save for a few breaks. One weekend, Charlie managed to round everyone up in the main room for a brief meeting.

"As you all know, when Alastor arrived he brought in both Husk and Niffty," Lucifer's daughter began confidentiality. "I was wondering, have any of you seen Niffty do anything but work?" A few incoherent grumbles from the group confirmed Charlie's suspicions. "Well… I think we should give her a break!"

"Woah, Woah, Woah," Husk said, putting down the bottle of alcohol he had previously been drinking. "You're sayin' you want to turn us into a cleanup crew?"

"Only for today!" Charlie quipped, shooting the alcohol a dirty look, before turning to face Vaggie for support. Her girlfriend wasn't just the love of her life, but also her support and backup. The grey demon shot her a smile, clearly agreeing to the idea. Her smile eventually turned into a frown as Angel began to loudly suck on a popsicle while shooting Husk lewd looks- looks of which the cat demon promptly ignored. He knew better than to aim those looks towards a certain Strawberry pimp.

"I think it's a wonderful idea!" Alastor's voice rang out, the constant buzz of static around him increasing in volume as he spoke. "Our darling Niffty has appeared to look quite tired now that the number of demons in this fine establishment has begun to increase!" Charlie looked pleased with his response, glad to have the powerful overlord on her side. With an enthusiastic clap of her hands, the princess began listing off jobs.

"Husk, you can focus on the foyer," she smiled. "Furniture and windows included!" At the sound of the cats reluctant grumbling, she sighed and added, "You can drink on the job." This seemed to do the trick, as he nodded in agreement. Next, Charlie turned to the one-eyed moth demon at her side. "Vaggie, the front hall could probably use some sprucing up!"

"Right on it Hon," Vaggie smiled, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek as she passed, heading for the requested area- but not before shooting Angel Dust a warning glare.

"Oh calm down Toots, I'll do my work," Angel rolled his eyes, waving the popsicle stick at Vaggie in a dismissive manner. She growled, bristling, but turned and stalked off before doing anything rash. "Speaking of work, what're _we_ doin'?" the spider asked Charlie, motioning to himself and the Radio Demon standing a good five feet away from him. The distance purposely kept between them was enough to hurt Angel's pride justttt a little.

"You two can work in the kitchen together!" Charlie hummed happily.

"Why does it need two of us?" Angel questioned her, a statement that caused Alastor to twitch his ear- clearly wanting to hear the answer.

"I was thinking… maybe you two could do some cooking for tonight as well?" the female demon asked hopefully. Angel opened his mouth to object, but promptly shut it after seeing the puppy-dog eyes Charlie had put on for show.

"Ugh, fine," he crossed his lower set of arms, using his top set to balance himself as Charlie rammed into his chest as a result of a particularly fierce thank-you hug. She wisely avoided doing the same to Alastor, who's smile had widened a fraction of an inch at the idea of such rough physical contact.

"You guys are the best!" she said, before finally running off to fill Niffty in on what was going on.

"Looks like yer' stuck with me Smiles," Angel grinned, fighting back a sound of disappointment when Alastor's only response was, "it would appear so, my good fellow!"

Al was no fun to fool around with in Angel's opinion. He took things literally as a way to block Angel's flirtation attempts, and frankly, it annoyed the spider as much as it did arouse him.

* * *

Within the time span of an hour, Angel had done nothing but fool around with the cleaning supplies. It had simply started off as spraying copious amounts of cleaner- which earned a well-deserved glare from Alastor. Eventually, his antics changed into more chaotic things such as sliding across the floor using dish soap and dancing with the mop the Radio Demon had given him to clean up his own soapy mess. What really set Alastor off was when Angel slipped and crashed into the demon.

He stiffened on contact, seething at the touch. The deer demon summoned his cane, prodding the sharp end into Angel's stomach- forcefully shoving him away. The shadows around them started to multiply, wriggling and moving. The sound of ear-splitting static and flickering frequencies filled the stale air surrounding the two demons, creating a cacophony of noise. Symbols of voodoo flickered around the furious demon, the aura of his eldritch magic suffocating. He stalked over to Angel, eyes now resembling radio dials and smile curving in on itself, and hissed in his face. "You best change your behaviour, my good fellow," he threatened, voice deep and distorted, the shadows growing as two tentacles wrapped around the spider's neck. "You have done nothing but pester me, and I do not appreciate the reckless demeanour I have had the misfortune of partaking in."

Angel wheezed as he gasped for air, clawing at his throat. In normal circumstances, he would have found their current position to be kinda sexy, the slimy tentacles around his neck not so cold. That is if he was not utterly terrified. The irritable Strawberry Pimp had had enough of him for the day, and the demon before him now was looming. His antlers had grown in size, as had Alastor himself. The shadows warped and bent towards Angel, threatening to swallow the porn star whole. He gulped, looking away from the deer demons scathing radio dial gaze, managing a nod despite the tight grip of the tentacles.

"How lovely," Alastor spoke once again, his voice back to its usual peppy radio announcer manner. The tentacles disappeared suddenly, and the shadows stopped writhing about the walls. Al turned away, leaving Angel to lean against the counter for momentary support. The Radio Demon started humming a casual tune as he wiped down the final table, acting as though nothing had occurred. The only indication of Alastor's snap was the glow of his eyes which had yet to subside.

"I'll… help with tha' cooking," the spider muttered once regaining his composure. Now that he could think straight, Angel felt a hot prickling under his fur. God, they had been so close. And _tentacles! The guy used fucking __**TENTACLES! **_

"How very kind of you," Alastor hummed, turning back around. His grin was wicked, albeit nothing compared to what Angel had just witnessed. As he went to speak, Charlie poked her head into the kitchen.

"How's everything coming?" she beamed up at the two.

"Why, everything is going according to plan!" Alastor chortled, graciously moving over to the princess with a smoothness Angel found to be unfair for such an alluring demon. "We were just about to begin cooking! Angel has volunteered his services."

"Oh I'll volunteer my services alri-" Angel cut himself off, having enough brains to understand he shouldn't prod the beast anymore. For now at least.

"Awesome!" Charlie cheered. She dug around in her pocket for something, pulling out a sheet of shiny golden stickers shaped like stars. She peeled one of the stars off and placed it on Alastors microphone, knowing he himself wouldn't like to be touched. The deer demons smile settled from his vicious toothy grin to a softer wide smile. Charlie giggled happily at this, prancing over to Angel and sticking one to the front of his black choker.

"Shiny…" Angel purred, eyes trained on the golden stars.

"If you keep up the good work I might just give you another one!" Charlie teased, waving goodbye as she left the kitchen.

"How kind of her," Alastor spoke, red eyes no longer glowing as brightly. "One day her kindness is going to be taken advantage of," he crooned. It was a somewhat dark comment, but true nonetheless.

"Well, luckily for her she's got her lesbian guard dog," Angel Dust snickered at his new nickname for Vaggie. Alastor's smile grew a smidge wider at the comment. Seems that Smiles was more at ease after getting his anger out. Al made his way around the kitchen, pulling out different pots and cooking utensils. The constant emission of white noise from Alastor was all that filled the silence- aside from the occasional clang of different appliances. Angel usually didn't mind silence, but after what had ensued between the two, he felt awkward.

"So… Al. What're we gonna make for tha' group?" Angel asked, watching Alastor curiously as he pulled out ingredients.  
"My mother taught me how to make a wonderful jambalaya!" the demon answered. "I recall how much you all enjoyed it, so I thought it would be a wonderful treat after all this cleaning!" At the mention of his mother, the porn star noticed how Al's red eyes sparked with what he assumed were happy memories.

"Yer mother, eh?" Angel repeated, then cringed at the look he received. He'd just wanted to keep the conversation going, not sound as though he were prodding. "What I mean is, you seem to have fond memories with her-" the slut corrected.

A static hum filled the air as Alastor mulled over the sentence. "Why yes, I do indeed my effeminate fellow! She was lovely, the sweetest woman y' ever met. Taught me most of what I know!" At the alarmed look on Angel's face, he added, "the more _humane _things I know."

As they talked and cooked, the remaining tension from earlier faded away to practically nothing. Angel kept a decent distance, and in return, Alastor didn't threaten the spider in any true menacing ways for the time being. Of course, they both knew Angel would be back to his flirtations within the day- a real shame for Alastor. Much to his surprise, the radio demon discovered that- when not drunk, or high, or going through withdrawal, or flirting (so basically all the time),- Angel was not all that bad.

While Alastor added the finishing touches to the Jambalaya, Angel finally asked the question that had been on his mind since they'd started cooking.

"Jambalaya is a New Orleans dish, correct?"

"Indeed it is, why do you ask?"

"Well, ya' said the recipe yer mother taught ya was authentic, does that mean you're from New Orleans?"

Alastor didn't reply for a while, and Angel just assumed the conversation was done, when he finally replied. "Indeed, lived in Louisiana when I was alive. The bayou area was quite a handy place to dispose of unedible human remains!"

"You're Cajun!?" Angel gasped, unable to hide his surprise. "Ya sure don't sound like it, Smiles. Are ya pulling my leg?"

Alastor let out a chuckle, the noise resembling what it would sound like if a channel was switched in the midst of someone laughing. When he spoke again, all traces of radio static was gone from his voice. "Dis' betta for ya?" Angel quite literally felt his jaw drop. He sputtered, waving his arms around as he tried to form words. Alastor watched, eyes half-lidded with raw, unfiltered amusement.

"Y- Wha- _How did ya do that!?" _the Porn Star managed to choke out. He shouldn't have been so shocked, but the switch was immaculate, and far from expected. A resounding click was heard, and the radio host voice was back.

"I am a Radio Host my dear fellow. I learned to change my voice so it was more understandable!" A laugh track played in the air around him as he studied Angel's surprise.

"Wait no, go back Smiles! That accent was HOT!"

"All in due time, I'm afraid," Alastor tsked, clasping his hands behind his back and turning to face their wonderful cooking. Angel let out an audible grumble and crossed his lower set of arms, begrudgingly helping Al store the food for tonight's dinner. Just when he thought he'd began to understand Alastors confusing ways, he discovered that he had only just scratched the surface.

Well, what can Angel say? The powerful, dark mysterious man was starting to grow on him; and in more ways than just simple curiosity or a slight attraction.


	3. Dog Drama

(The tags and summary sections as seen in most fanfictions don't seem to be working on any of my devices. I'll have to improvise the summary section and just hope people find this story without the additional tags. I will also point out their relationship status at the start considering their relationship status is different in every chapter. I'm sorry I'm really bad at properly portraying personalities how the characters speak/interact.)

Relationship Status in this Chapter: Normal terms, maybe leading into something more ;)

It was a pleasant Sunday… as pleasant as a day in the pentagram could be. The weather was fairly manageable, the heat down to bearable levels for a majority of the demons in hell. Most of the hotel residents were outside in the newly remodelled garden, enjoying the weather while they could. Angel Dust was lounging on a hammock, his pet pig Fat Nuggets sleepily resting on the fluff of his chest. Ever since Alastor's arrival, more and more demons had filtered through the doors, hoping for a chance at redemption. A particularly slimy fellow was helping a lizard-like demon tend to the trees surrounding the garden. Angel lowered his shades and shot the two a soft smile, before returning his gaze to Fat Nuggets. The pig had begun to fidget, making quiet snuffling noises and pawing at Angels fluff. "Come on my sweet baby, let's set you down," Angel sighed, picking the pet up and placing him underneath the hammock. Nuggets squealed happily and rolled around in the residue dirt, earning a disapproving huff from his owner.

"Ah, there you are my good fellow!" Alastor's sexy radio voice rung out across the courtyard. Angel dust turned, his lower hands propped on his hips while his upper hands ran through his hair. "Were you looking for me baby?~" he purred, fluttering his eyelashes towards Alastor who had stopped a good two meters away.

"Actually, I have been on the lookout for Charlie!" Alastor corrected, his smile sharpening at the use of 'baby.' "But since my attempts to find her have been fruitless, I decided to ask you of their whereabouts!" Angel crossed his top set of arms as a means to hide his disappointment. The two had started to grow closer, but at the pace of a snail, much to Angel's distaste.

"Shame. Y' know I'm always available Smiles," the porn star hummed, fluffing up his chest with a sultry smile. Alastor's gaze didn't travel once, though his smile twitched in slight annoyance. Instead, he looked elsewhere, enjoying the rising fear in the eyes of those around him.  
"I suppose I will keep looking then," Alastor huffed, turning on his heel and beginning to walk away.

"Wait!" Angel called after him, stretching out a hand towards the deer demon. Alastor turned and slapped away the hand, but cocked his head as a sign that he was listening. "The princess and her lesbian guard dog left to visit a friend of theirs. Didn't say why jus' said they'd be back with 'sumthin."

Alastor considered this, his eyes flickering during a moment of thought. "Thank you for your assistance," he said, smile softening for a split second, before disappearing.

"Creepy bastard," Angel muttered, looking down at Nuggets to hide the smile blooming across his face.

* * *

"We're back!" announced the familiar voice of Charlie Magne, followed by a grunt from her girlfriend, Vaggie. "And we brought a friend for nuggetsssss!~" Angel, who had been sitting at the bar with Husk, looked up at the name of his prized pig.

"Ya did?" the porn star asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Just don't scream too loud…" Vaggie grumbled, trying (and failing) to hide the smile growing on her face. Angel looked down to the grey demon's hand, seeing that she was holding a leash. Curiously, he let his gaze wander down the rope and stop on an adorable, white ball of fluff. "Puppy!" he squealed, launching himself off the chair and onto the ground beside the small dog. It let out an excited yip, licking Angel's face. The dog was adorable, with big brown eyes, a cute pink tongue, soft white fur much like the spider, and two little horns barely noticeable within the tangle of fluffy fur. Angel moved into a sitting position, cooing and hugging the presumed Pomeranian puppy which seemed to love the attention.

"You're a dork," Vaggie said, shooting him one of her rare genuine smiles, handing him the leash.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever ya say!" Angel retaliated. "I know you love this lil' guy too." A chuckle from the female demon was all he needed as conformation.

"His name is Milo! According to his owner." Charlie exclaimed, taking a seat beside the spider and scratching under Milo's chin. "We're going to be watching him for about a week! Shouldn't be much trouble, he's very well behaved for a demon dog." As though he knew they were talking about him, Milo let out a bark of agreement.

"A whole week with this cutie!?" Angel gasped.

"YUP!" Charlie cheered. "I know fat nuggets can get lonely… so you can bring Milo up to your room with you whenever you want!"

"Really? God, you're the best Charlie!"

"I know," she teased, giving Angel a quick hug before standing and heading over to Vaggie. "We've got to get a few things ready for Milo, but I'll see you later!" the princess waved goodbye.

"Cya!" Angel called after her. He unhooked the leash from Milo's collar and stood as well, holding the Pomeranian in his arms. "Oi, Husk!" the porn star said, turning to face the bar. The cat demon, who had previously been snoozing off, awoke with a start.

"Y-huh what?" he grumbled, lifting his head from the bar and looking around.

"Look!" Angel shoved Milo into the cat's face, who recoil with a surprised hiss. "Isn't he adorable! Even you must like puppies!" Clearly unimpressed, Husk continued to glare at the two.

"Small dogs aren't dogs, they're overgrown rats," Husk grouched, the end of his sentence cut off as he took a swig from a rather large bottle of his go-to cheap boos. Angel gasped, one of his many arms going to his chest in offence.

"Why I neva!'" the spider demon spoke dramatically, adding a natural 'twang' to his tone of voice. Husk opened his mouth to say something again but was cut off by Niffty as the smaller demon entered the room.

"Is that a puppy!?" she shrieked, running over as fast as her little legs could carry her. Which was very, very fast.

"Hell yeah, it is!" Angel handed Milo to her. Niffty held Milo in her arms, burying her small face into the puppies' furry back. She didn't seem to mind that the addition of Milo may include a little more cleaning. As Niffty hugged Milo, Angel noticed Husk's expression. The cat demon was looking around, seemingly trying to find something. "Hey Husk, whatcha' doin'?"

"Oh- Nothing, just looking for Al," he mumbled, turning back to look at Niffty. His expression softened the slightest bit at the sight of the smaller excited demon, then it hardened again. "I'm gonna go find the ol' man and let him know what's up."

"Husker my good fellow, aren't you older than I am?" Alastor hummed, manifesting from the shadows directly beside the cat. Husk jumped and bristled at the sudden appearance of the Radio Demon, his wings fluffing up.

"Fine you smiling bastard, next time something you hate enters this hotel I'll be the _last _person to tell you," Husk shot back, looking around for his bottle of alcohol.

"Something I hate?" Alastor tilted his head, his ears flopping to the side at the movement. During their interaction, Angel had been looking between the two as they spoke, his eyes flicking from one demon to the other as though he were watching a tennis match.

"You mean Milo?" Angel asked, crossing his lower set of arms and pointing to Niffty with his top set. Alastor cracked his head to the side, then froze. Normally, the Radio Demon had some form of movement going on- whether it be his expressions or body language- but it was as if someone pulled time to a stop, leaving him frozen in his tracks. A red hue engulfed Niffty and Milo, then slowly, they were pushed far back to the opposite end of the room. For a moment, Alastor's eyes flickered between radio dials and their normal appearance, then suddenly the static sounds disappeared and his peppy attitude flooded back.

"I would greatly appreciate if you'll excuse me, I have forgotten business to attend to!" Alastor hummed, carefully folding his arms behind his back. Husk, who had known Al the longest, clearly saw through his little facade. The red demon's smile was sharper, and his large fluffy ears were slightly angled back in what could be portrayed as something more than the typical discomfort. Unfortunately for him, a certain spider demon also tuned in to the changes in Alastors demeanour. Angel went to speak but found the attempt to be pointless when the strawberry pimp disappeared as suddenly as he appeared. Nifty seemed bothered by the fact that both she and Milo were pushed back from the group.

"I know you noticed that too," Husk mumbled to Angel, voice a few octaves lower. He waited for Niffty to leave with Milo before continuing. "If I were you I wouldn't go around teasing him about it."

"About what?" Angel asked, genuinely confused. "Yer' right I noticed Sumthin' off, but I'm not sure what it was exactly." He looked longingly at the shelf of alcohol for a moment. "Are ya gonna tell me, kitty cat? Or do I gotta figure it out myself."

"He'll have my head for this…" Husk grumbled, "but I don't want 'cha making a scene. Fine. Alastor… he's, afraid of dogs."

Angel blinked. "Yer pullin' my leg aren't cha?" he huffed. "No way I'm gonna believe the all-powerful Radio Demon has a fear of dogs." A sharp glare from Husk had him rethinking his snarky remarks. "You're serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious." Husk snarled. "As I said, don't go teasing him about it. I'm honestly surprised he didn't kill the damned thing right there and then." He turned away, pushing aside bottles and going back to ignoring Angel.

'So, no teasing huh…' Angel thought, drumming his fingers on the bar. 'He didn't say 'no questions!'' Satisfied with his realization, Angel left the room in search of Alastor.

Though, let's just say it didn't go as expected…

* * *

"Ughhh, Charliiiie!" Angel groaned in response to the princess's answer. He had just asked her if she knew where Alastor was, and she'd given him the same answer she had for the past three days.

"_I'm sure he's fine, I saw him in the hall early this morning!"_

"Don't you think it's weird that the strawberry pimp has just suddenly gone awol!?" Angel asked. Although Angel was a gossipy demon by nature, he had managed to keep the little 'dog secret' Husk had shared with him to himself.

"I guess it's a _little_ weird," she admitted, biting her lip.

"I bet he's up to something," Vaggie spoke, taking a stand beside her girlfriend. Her arms were crossed -as per usual- but her spear had yet to be manifested.

"Doubt it," Angel replied, resting two hands on his hips. Vaggie shot him a glare and went to argue, her eye twitching in annoyance.

"Why don't we confront him?" Charlie suggested, cutting the moth demon off before a brawl broke out. "I can ask him if he's feeling alright! That's not coming on too strong, right?"

"Maybe we shouldn't pester someone like the radio de-"

"I think it's a great idea!" Angel hip bumped Vaggie out of the way- earning a much-earned growl. "The only way to figure out what's wrong is to ask!" It was a white lie, of course, but the porn star was far too curious to let this chance slip. As the group left to find Alastor, Vaggie grew tenser. She clearly didn't want to be there, but God showing up to Hell would be more likely to happen then Vaggie leaving her girlfriend alone around the Radio Demon. Quite a bit of time passed, and Angel saw the sureness slip from Charlie's expression right before they rounded a corner.

"Alastor!" Charlie called out, cupping her hands around her mouth. Al, who stood at the end of the hall, felt his ear closest to them flick.

"Charlie dear, I have excellent hearing. No need to yell," he chuckled, first turning his head than his body to face them. Vaggie didn't seem to appreciate the sarcastic undertone, but Angel, on the other hand, was fighting back a grin.

"Sorry Al..." Charlie apologized, running a hand through her hair nervously. Almost immediately, she perked back up. "Anyways! We were all looking for you!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah! Angel mentioned you've been a bit distant the past few days, and I came to check on you!"

Alastor's gaze snapped to Angels, the rest of his stiff posture unmoving. "He did, did he?"

"Yup!" Charlie chirped, ever the oblivious one.

"Well my dear, I can assure you I'm perfectly fine-"

"BULLSHIT!" Vaggie held her now manifested spear up at Alastor. "You're planning something, I know it! You're always walking around, watching everything and everyone," she said angrily, "but I've barely seen you these past few days! Don't even _think_ about messing shit up or I'll be the one to cook your remains in our next meal." Angel watched warily as Alastors smiled widened so large it curled in on itself. As she took in the expression on Al's face, Vaggie faltered a bit.

"Now now my dear, no need to use that tone," he tutted. A few shadows around Vaggie's feet began to curl, and a tentacle shot out of the ground to grab her arm, a second one close behind.

"Al!" Charlie squeaked. Her next words came out in such a rush, it was barely decipherable. "WeJustWantedToCheckOnYouImSorryShesJustProtectiveButClearlyYoureFine!" Vaggie snarled, trying to pull away from the slimy tentacles, but her eyes glinted with the tiniest bit of fear.

"I appreciate it," Alastor said coldly, his voice holding a much louder edge of static than normal. The shadows returned to normal, and he straightened back up. "I will see you all in due time!" Charlie pulled Vaggie back to her, and Angel watched as the deer demon sashayed past them, the coattails of his pinstriped coat swaying from side to side until he disappeared around the corner.

"Creepy smiling pompous cheesy talk-show shitlord," Vaggie hissed under her breath, repeating the same insults she threw at him the first day he arrived.

"That was eventful!" Angel clapped his hands together, smirking. Charlie shot him a 'not now' look, and he reluctantly obliged. The group headed back to the main room, earning a curious glance from Husk who didn't appear drunk-enough for what he was about to hear.

"You guys look shaken up," he commented, quirking an eyebrow. At the foot of the bar lay Milo, curled up and looking far too innocent for Hell.

"Vaggie royally pissed Alastor off, it was hilarious," Angel snorted, wincing as he felt the burn from the moth demons heated glare.

"Jesus fuck," Husk groaned. "What'd ya do, yell in his face or something?" He observed the guilty look on Charlie's face and banged his head against the bar repeatedly, waking up Milo with his commotion. As Angel went over to soothe the excited dog, Husk downed an entire bottle right in front of the girls. "Not the best move guys," he gurgled. "Ya don't question Al when he's doing something."

"Wow, thanks smartass," Vaggie hissed. She grabbed Charlie's hand and stalked off, not sparing so much as a glance back, leaving the princess to stumble after her.

* * *

Angel sat in his room, pondering over what to do. Fat Nuggets sat on his left, whilst Milo sat on his right, both surrounded by large plush pink pillows. It was decently late, some demons already having turned in for the night. "I mean, Al and I are pretty close, y'know?" he said to both animals. "He wouldn't go all voodoo on me if I said I just wanted to help, right?" Nuggets squalled in response, burying his face in Angel's side. "What do you think Milo?" The little Pomeranian yipped, jumping onto the spider demons stomach- leaving Angel with only one option… "I guess I'll go talk to him, then."

It was practically a death wish to go to Alastors rooms unannounced, but it's not like he would kill him... He hoped. And either way, where would he go, double hell? Angel chuckled at the remark and continued walking, stopping in front of Alastor's door. He had taken the time to dress more modestly and was now wearing a white knit turtleneck sweater and black shorts. Of course, he had heels of some sort on- having chosen to wear knee-high ones as to cover more skin for Al's sake. Angel knew damn well he had a little child's-crush on the deer but wasn't sure if the love was unrequited or not, and he refused to scare off the edge lord.

"Hey Al, you in?" Angel called, knocking on the door softly. He heard some rustling inside the room, but when no one opened the door, turned to leave -a sad feeling of defeat hanging over him,- when light poured into the hall. He turned back around, face brightening as he saw Alastor standing in the doorway.

"Good evening, my effeminate fellow!" he exclaimed. "What brings you to my residence so late?"

"Heyyyyy," Angel said, suddenly feeling a flutter of anxiety in his stomach. He gave the Radio Demon a few finger guns, stalling as his mind reeled. Alastor raised an eyebrow at this, drumming his fingers on the door frame impatiently. Angel exhaled and wrung his hands together nervously. "Husk told me why you're acting kinda distant and after the little charade earlier I was just wondering if you wanted someone to talk to.."

"I see." Alastor's hand froze, long claws no longer tapping against the door. His smile was fixed in place, large and toothy. Something flashed in his eyes; be it acceptance, respect, annoyance. Whatever it was disappeared quickly, and the deer demon stepped aside. "Very well, I suppose talking may do me some good. Charlie _has _been trying to implement therapy into this hotel." Angel gaped for a moment, then his face broke out in a grin. Carefully, he stepped into Alastor's room.

Angel spun in a slow circle, taking in the design. The walls were a dark maroon colour, while most of his furniture was black. The room gave off two vibes; one a regal feeling, like Angel was special to even be there, and the other a cozy sensation. The walls were lined with old fashioned radios, a different frequency emitting from each one. Different doors lined the walls, leading to separate rooms he could only assume was a bathroom and two other areas. A fancy _and expensive_ red-glass chandelier hung from the high ceiling, bathing the room in crimson light that danced over the immaculate surfaces. Two large windows cloaked in red curtains were placed vertically from the door, a bed placed between them. The bed too was black in colour with a cherrywood frame, adjacent to a black wooden hutch.

"Jeez Al…" Angel murmured, "and I thought MY room was extra." Alastor, who had been watching Angel observe his room, let out a staticky chuckle.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Alastor mused. He walked over to a rather large desk covered in stacks of paper, a black candelabra, some pens, and other objects- then took a seat on top. Angel stood for a second longer before hesitantly taking the seat Al had moved.

"So, you're all good with this Smiles?" Angel asked. "I know you're not the most open fella' when it comes to things about yer' life."

"I can assure you, if I did not want to do this, you would not be in my room!" Alastor grinned, a glitchy laugh track playing. Angel relaxed a bit, then sat up excitedly as he got an idea.

"How about I talk a bit about my past first, so maybe you'll be more comfortable?" Angel said, smiling. Alastor tilted his head, then nodded and rested his clasped hand on his lap.

"Very well," he replied. There was a look of warm approval in his red eyes at the suggestion.

"'Aight, well… my family was kinda shitty. We was a crime family, always carrying out jobs our dad gave us," Angel began. "My brother Arackniss and I were never on th' best terms, but my sister Molly and I- god we were close. Everyone loved Molly." There was a fondness to his voice when Angel spoke about his sister, Alastor noted. It was… refreshing. "Our mother was a great woman, I dunno how she managed with such a dickwad like my father," he continued. "He was an abusive asshole. No one in our family really liked 'em, but he was still our father." Alastor nodded, a sign he was listening. The deer demon knew better than to pity any demon in hell, after all, they were here for a reason- but he felt a twinge of it nonetheless.

"I remember you mentioning their residence here in hell, correct?"

"Yeah," the spider nodded. "But I'm not allowed to visit. Our dear ol' ma is in heaven, thank satan, er- thank god? Either way, onto how I died. I died in 1947 from an overdose on, well, PCP. Hence the name. Haha jazz hands I know, creative. I wish I had random laugh tracks."  
"Indeed," Alastor hummed, his eyes closing as a sign of hidden laughter. He played a laugh track for Angel, who in return let out a real laugh.

"Alright Smiles, you're up."

Alastor sighed, resting his chin on the top of his intertwined hands. "Very well. I suppose if this is serious… " he cleared his throat, and a click broke the silence, "then I'll drop tha' broadcasting voice, eh?" Angel practically melted on the spot, his face a flaming red. God, he was in a bedroom with the tall, dark, handsome radio demon who had the hottest accent in the entire Pentagram.

"Yeah, yeah I think that's a good idea," Angel purred. This wasn't his first time hearing the accent, but he sure as Hell hoped it would never end.

"As ya' know, I was born in th' lovely town of New Orleans, Louisiana." Alastor hummed. "My ma was also a wonderful woman, taught me many things about presentation and manners- not that it saved me from bein' 'ere in Hell." He chuckled at this, then returned to telling the story. "I was' a radio host and serial killer up on Earth… what good times those were. I was in ta' voodoo as well, if that wasn't clear."

"Creepy bastard," Angel teased, his words said in a light-hearted manner.

"Araignée chaotique," Alastor purred, his French smooth and, god-forbid, hella hot. Angel sputtered, crossing his arms.

"That's not fair!" he whined. Alastor grinned at this. Not a wide sadistic grin, but more of a smaller at-ease one. After a few moments of silence, Al stood and began to undo the front of his coat, earning a both alarmed and excited look from Angel.

"Calm down cher I ain't boughta' strip fer ya," the deer said pointedly, shooting the constantly horny spider a glare.

"Well it sure looks like it smiles," Angel argued, rubbing his thighs together. Alastor cringed at the sight, openly regretting his choices. For another tense moment, Al stood there silently. He was now wearing a simple red dress shirt tucked into the waistband of his pants and he felt completely... exposed. His coat was draped over his arm, and he itched to have it back on. Was this a mistake? No, he shook his head.

"This'll get tha' dirty thoughts out of yer head," Alastor explained before pulling up the sleeves of his dress shirt. His grey hued skin was crisscrossed with a variety of jagged scars; all different shapes, sizes and lengths. Some were short and thin while others were long and thick. Despite their different appearances, they _all _looked as though the wound was originally very deep, and very painful. He undid the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing the edges of more gashes and what looked to be various tattoos on his chest.

"Shit-" Angel whispered, the excited blush draining from his cheeks. All the dirty thoughts reeling in his mind came to a complete stop, and his expression turned to one of embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry Al I didn't know…"

"No one knows cher, only Husk an' Niffty," Alastor said bluntly. "If ya' knew, I would be surprised. T' say tha' least." The Radio Demon hated it. He hated the pity in the spider's eyes, hated that he felt vulnerable. Oh how he _loathed _it. "Stop givin' me tha' look. I wasa bad person, probably deserved it," Alastor grumbled, his smile a little less wide and a lot more forced.

"I'm guessin' that's why yer afraid of dogs…" Angel said softly, his head down though he lifted his eyes to look at Al.

"Only big ones," he replied. "Small ones are jus' unsettling, mostly annoyin'."

"I'm sorry," Angel apologized again.

"Don't be!" the demon suddenly exclaimed, a lot perkier. He snapped, and his coat returned to its rightful place on his thin form. A second click sounded and his radio host voice was back. "Things happen! No point on dwelling in the past if I do say so myself, hahaha!"

"Ha, right," Angel nodded, clearing his throat. "It's late, I should probably go."

"Very well, see you tomorrow then, hm?"

"Yeah," the spider smiled, confidence returning. "See ya." he stood to leave, pushing the chair back under the desk. "I… really like this. We should do it again. Just talking, y' know?" Alastor nodded, a satisfied hum breaking through his usual static aura.

"I agree, my dear."

Angel fought back a squeal. My dear. _My dear. __**My dear. **_He giggled and opened the door, stepping out, then stopped. "Hey Al?" he turned around, looking at the red demon standing in the doorway. "What does 'Araignée chaotique' mean?"

"Chaotic spider," he cackled, closing the door in Angel's face leaving the spider red-faced, flustered, and incredibly turned on.


	4. Antlers Can be Decorated Too

(Sorry this is very late after Christmas time, I've been busy with exams coming up and whatnot. As of writing this, Exams start in three days TwT)

Relationship Status in this Chapter: Unconfirmed boyfriends but everyone high-key knows. Alastor is 'softer' in this chapter for this timeline is different than previous chapters; he has been with the hotel for a while

The holiday spirit was heavy in the air, filling even the gruffest of hotel residents with an undeniable warm feeling. Niffty was moving slower than usual, seeming to enjoy taking her time with the decorations. Lights were hung from every wall and pillar, twinkling a pale yellow colour that complimented the red walls and wooden floors. Fake wreaths were hung on the doors, and a few magic-fueled skeleton reindeer trotted around the courtyard; curtsey of Alastor and his magic. Most of the group was sitting together, sharing two couches. Charlie and Vaggie were pressed close together, a blanket draped over their lap, whilst Angel stretched his long limbs over the second couch. Husk was plopped in an armchair, spiked eggnog in one hand.

"I'm loving your outfit," Angel complimented Charlie, his smile wide and genuine. The princess was dressed as Krampus, adorning a red knit Christmas sweater with black designs. With Vaggie's help, she'd painted her horns a crimson red. Three black barbed wire hair bands were placed in her hair, giving it volume.

"Aw thank you, Angel!" Charlie squealed, shooting him a bright grin. Vaggie's expression softened, and she gave Angel Dust an approving look. Her outfit was a sweater similar to Charlie's, though dark green in colour with white snowflake designs. She had multicoloured stockings paired with it. Both had been made by the princess herself, and she'd gifted the others with personalized ones too. Angel was currently wearing a pale pink knit sweater with a cutout chest piece for his fluff to poke through. After some pestering from the spider, she'd given in and stitched the words "Jingle my Bells" on the front in red. He had on small black shorts underneath, and garters attached to grey stockings visible beneath his knee-high red boots. Husk was wearing an all-green sweater with the words "I need a drink" stitched into the center- alongside other Christmas related designs. The edges of his sweater were a red that faded into the main colour, giving it an ombre look. Niffty wore hers as she decorated, beaming. It was a little big on the little demon, but she appeared to love it thoroughly. It too was a green colour, though instead of a sweater, it was more like her typical dress- the end decorated with white frill. The one person missing was Alastor, who had been scarce since they last saw him the night prior. "Where do you think Al is?" The princess questioned. "I don't want him to miss out on the fun!"

"I'm sure he'll show up soon," Vaggie promised, resting a reassuring hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"I can get him!" Niffty exclaimed, skidding to a stop in front of the two girls. "He's working in his room at the moment!"

"Al doesn't know how to celebrate the holidays," Husk grunted. "He's always been alone before now."

"Alone!?" Angel gasped. "On CHRISTMAS?"

"I gotta admit, that's just plain sad," Vaggie commented.

"I'll take that as a 'yes go get him' " Niffty giggled. Her eye flashed mischievously, and when she grinned, her mouth was full of sharp teeth. "I'll be back soon!~" The small cyclops demon skittered away in a hurry, leaving everyone to question her devilish look.

"I'm not drunk enough for what's to come," Husk mumbled, downing his mug of eggnog.

Alastor was sat at his desk, black candelabra lit beside him as he signed papers and wrote out forms. A knock sounded on his door, breaking his concentration. The knock was far too small and close to the ground to be anyone other than Niffty, so he called out, "Come in Niffty darling!" The door opened, and the little demon stepped into the room, looking up at him expectantly.

"You gotta come and decorate the tree with us!" She insisted, closing the door behind her. Her eyes travelled to his bed, falling on the folded and unworn sweater made by Charlie- then moving to the bundle of Christmas lights still in her arms.

"My dear, you know I'm not a very celebratory person-" Alastor went to argue but cut off after noting her expression. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes!"

Alastor shook his head. "My dear, I refuse."

"You can't refuse me," Niffty pointed out. She skipped over and hugged his leg, looking up at him once again, her one eye wide and glistening. "If you refuse, I'll cry. Don't make me cry at you." Alastor stopped, his glare faltering. Niffty sniffled, and a tear began to form in her eye. His expression faltered even more before he practically doubled over from a hefty exhale.

"Fine! Fine…"

"Yay!" Niffty cheered, blinking away the tears then grabbing Al's hand and pulling him over to the bed where he reluctantly sat down. She climbed up after him and shoved the sweater into his hands. "On. Now." The Radio Demon half-heartedly scowled at her, before snapping his fingers and changing his outfit. The sweater was also knit by Charlie and was a few shades darker than his hair. The design on the front was of a pentagram with curling horns on either side and the words "Hail Satan." With it, Alastor had on his usual pants and white collared shirt underneath. During his time there, the demons antlers had grown significantly, their height almost matching the height of his ears.

"Is this really necessary my dear," Alastor grumbled, looking over his shoulder to see his exposed deer tail.

"Oh I'm not done yet," Niffty scolded, lightly smacking away his hand before he could snap back to normal attire. She giggled excitedly as she unravelled the small bundle of battery-controlled Christmas lights. Alastor sat and sulked like a child as she expertly looped them through his antlers, a few dangling down on the outer edges of his antlers. "NOW I'm done!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hand once again and shoving him in front of the mirror.

The demon staring back at him looked very into the Christmas spirit, and absolutely miserable because of it. His expression and forced smile practically screamed: "please kill me again." "You look amazing!" Niffty gasped, her hands clasped together tightly. The pure joy in her eyes was enough to settle the Radio Demon a little bit, though he was still visibly unimpressed. "Come on, let's go decorate the tree!"

Alastor grumbled something in reply but did end up standing and leaving his room with Niffty. They began to walk down the stairs, Niffty dragging the reluctant deer behind her. Angel was nowhere to be seen, but the two girls and Husk were still in their original spots. Charlie was the first to notice, and her large gasp drew the attention of the others.

"ALASTOR!" she squealed, jumping off the couch and rushing over to him.

"Ah, yes, hello my dear," he said, smile wobbly and awkward; an expression he'd never worn in front of the gang. Vaggie turned and spat out her drink, beginning to cough.

Her "Alastor!?" was much more confused than her girlfriends was. She attempted to take a photo, but a tentacle shot up from the ground and grabbed it from her hand. Husk was simply gawking in the background, then his typical frown was pulled up into a devilish grin. He would never let his friend forget this.

"It seems our darling Niffty has… forced me into costume," Al muttered, his ears sticking out to the sides in irritation. Charlie began to enter 'fangirl mode,' but was stopped by the shatter of glass before her enthusiasm could spill over. She, Vaggie, Husk and Al all turned to see Angel standing in the doorway of the kitchen, a now broken mug of what appeared to be eggnog on the floor at his feet.

Niffty zipped by, cleaning it up within seconds, letting out a quiet "nope.-"

Alastor's eyes narrowed, and his smile tightened as a blush coloured his cheeks. "Don't-"

"YOU LOOK ADORABLE!" Angel screeched, making the deer wince. The spider was across the room within seconds, his body colliding with Alastors causing them to stumble back. Angel reached up and grasped Alastors antlers, their noses practically touching. Al felt as his face burned a bright red, and he attempted to summon his staff and push the taller demon away, but a hand grasped him and he turned to see Charlie standing there. She was smiling brightly and mouthed the words "let it happen" to him. He huffed and dropped his hand. He _supposed _the five-foot rule could be broken for the holidays…

"I am not _adorable, _my dear fellow," Alastor couldn't help but argue.

"Yes, you are."

"I am inclined to believe otherwise."

"Well, I'm inclined to believe your opinion is invalid!" Angel shot back, his eyes alight with joy. "Sweet Satan, you sure are a sight to behold."

"Hush," Alastor glared daggers at his boyfriend, though there was a faint glimmer of fondness in his gaze. Angel hummed mischievously but obliged and stepped away.

"Time to decorate the tree!" Charlie cheered, giving the two in-denial lovers puppy dog eyes. Vaggie took her girlfriend's hand and led her to the tree, the boys in tow. Husk left, then returned with a few boxes of ornaments. Alastor snapped, and Christmas music replaced the typical jazz tunes that often filled the air. He hooked an arm around Angel's waist, the wide smile replaced with a softer one.

Yes, this will do nicely…


End file.
